Hear Me
by Sacred Infidel
Summary: Young Master Shifu gets caught in the crossfire of a battle between a small village and a clan of vicious foreign nomads toting dangerous poisons. The prize: the Sword of Heroes. And now that he's injured, he's stuck. So the question remains: Now what?
1. Blizzards & Blood

Kung Fu Panda and its original cast belong to DreamWorks. I do not own.

~*~*~*~*~

The wind howled over high mountain peaks above. Every outcrop was sharp with ice and caked with snow. The village of Cha Gung Pass stood tucked away from the brunt of the weather; huts puffing faint smoke trails, warm light, and the promise of salvation from the impending dusk.

Zhong Zan sighed, emitting a great cloud of steam into the snow-laden air. As long as the blizzard kept up, but Fisi Clan couldn't attack the village. It was welcome respite from the long weeks of battle, but the fact remained that they were losing ground. Even his Master wouldn't be able to hold off such a great number for much longer.

Looking far below, he could see enemy fires blazing against the wind that ravaged the pass. Cackling, humorless laughter rose faintly to the rhino's ears. With deepest hatred, he hoped they would freeze to death.

Growling, he forced his attention back to finishing his last round. The only road into the village was steep, sloping sharply into the pass hundreds of feet below, carved into the mountain face by his recent ancestors. Neither paw nor tail was seen on the road. He huffed with satisfaction.

But the clattering of loose rocks caught his attention, coming from the sheer crags on the open side of the path. Immediately on alert, Zhong Zan readied his spear at the ledge.

"Who goes?" his voice boomed, swallowed up by the buffeting flurries.

A tiny, dark hand grasped at the ragged edge, slipped a little, left smears of blood in the soft layer of snow clinging to the edge. Zhong Zan didn't move; if it was another of those damned spy pups, they'd get steel between their eyes. Doubt cinched in his massive chest when the stranger continued to struggle. So he knelt down to look over the edge, spear still aimed.

He gasped, dropping his weapon. His arm shot out over the ledge, his whole body tensing with unsure panic. He grabbed the red panda by the collar just as he lost his grip, hoisting him onto the snow bank. That panic blossomed in Zhong Zan as the climber collapsed bonelessly into the snow. There wasn't a single rhino in the village who didn't know who this man was.

"Master Shifu!" he squeaked, carefully turning him over. The youngest kung fu master in all China was covered in blood, his eyes glazed, and his body trembling even beneath his thick coverings and winter fur. With unsteady fingers, the rhino searched for the source of the injury. In the blue hues of dusk, vivid crimson stained the side of Shifu's dull robes. He had been struck by a Fisi weapon. With a racing heart and a string of curses, Zhong Zan carefully picked him up and sprinted into the village, yelling for help at the top of his lungs.

Master Shifu was going to die.

~*~*~*~

A/N: Greetings. I'm indulging my obsession with Shifu and exploring what sorts of adventures he may have experienced in his younger years. My end notes will always have information about the names I use, and any other pertinent info I feel the reader should know. As always, please R any feedback is duly appreciated. I live for constructive criticism, and very much like to be notified if any grammar mistakes are found. Now for the names:

_Zhong Zan_ can mean "loyal support", depending on the Chinese characters used to spell the name.

_Fisi_ is "hyena" in Swahili.

Cha Gung pass was originally supposed to be Chor-Ghom Pass, but my great (sarcastic) sense of hearing butchered the pronunciation when I was watching the film. I decided to leave it as Cha Gung to further separate it from the original film. Otherwise, the name has no intentional meaning.


	2. Silk Panels & Puke

_A huge thank-you to Red Panda Obsessor for the encouragement and the grammar check. ^_^ As an FYI, anything in first person narrative is from Shifu's point of view._

Kung Fu Panda and its original cast belong to DreamWorks. I do not own. Cha Gung village and its inhabitants (with one exception), and the Fisi Clan are of my own twisted imagination. Yum.

Chapter One

Something was wrong.

I couldn't breathe. My side burst with hot pain. I screamed.

I know I screamed. I did, I…

There was no sound.

I couldn't hear anything. Why? My heart pounded in my head like a menacing war drum. I could _feel_ every beat against the inside of my skull. Why couldn't I hear anything?!

Where was Master Oogway? I opened my eyes. I had to speak with him. He was here somewhere; I just had to find him…

My vision swam in ripples of dull brown and gray. Waves of hot and cold rolled through me, making me tremble. My face felt wet. My eyelids were cold. The light got brighter, sending shooting pains into my head. My stomach clenched. I followed the instinct to roll over just as I threw up.

My side was splitting in two! I curled in on myself to stop the pain. A force on my shoulder turned me onto my back. That hand did not belong to Oogway. A cloud of gray blocked the light above me. I blinked hard to get the water out of my eyes. They burned and stuck. It was hard to open them again.

If I squinted I could see the blur of gray above me was more than cloud – my captor. My hands moved without me. The weight on my shoulder disappeared, and the light came back as the enemy fell away. Another wave of nausea hit me, wrapping me in hot and cold tremors. I rolled over.

I could barely hear myself vomit. Everything sounded like a dull roar. It was the same echo over and over again. It shattered my ears with a pain that made my head swell. Hot and cold all over again. I didn't have the strength to be sick. I stayed still a moment, panting, trying to keep my eyes open. I couldn't catch my breath; it hurt too much. I couldn't stay here. If I found Master Oogway…

Sitting up took an eternity. My arms trembled so badly I nearly couldn't support myself. My muscles wouldn't do what I wanted them to; everything took several tries. More water in my eyes. The room spun and tilted like silk panels in the wind. I closed my eyes, but it didn't help. I was tilting, too. I shook my head to clear it.

I threw up.

I nearly collapsed from the pain, throbbing in every muscle down to my tail. My whole body hurt to the erratic rhythm of my heart. I don't know how I stayed upright, only that I had to find Master Oogway. The room was still moving when I opened my eyes. My head kept tilting. My ears were twitching, full of a roar I couldn't understand.

The dark blur in the corner of the room was most likely the door. I rubbed my eyes and looked down, trying to ignore the burning in them. The floor disappeared in the watery tunnel of my vision. It got lost somewhere, just a soft red landing pad without definition. I didn't trust my legs.

Maybe I was supposed to stay where I was…

No.

My body was moving without me. I landed in a heap on the floor before I knew I'd slung myself over. I cried out. My sight blacked out for a moment. The floor was a lot harder than it was supposed to be. My lungs burned; my side was unbearable and I clutched at it. I drew back when my touch hurt; my hand was warm and wet…

Master Oogway could fix this. I had no time to rest. I struggled to get to my hands and knees. My body wouldn't listen.

I startled when someone picked me up by the scruff of my neck. My muscles jumped, sending more pain ripping through me. My body froze, ignored my commands to move. The sudden rush of air through my teeth meant I hissed. My ears pressed back. I wanted to defend myself against the hand hoisting me up, so high off the ground! My arms wouldn't lift. The roaring in my ears exploded with a loudness that nearly made me sick.

I felt too heavy for myself. Nothing moved right anymore. I was ready to give up, if I could just breathe again…

Then I was cradled, looking into the face of the enem –

…Wait.

Furrowing my brow made my head pound worse, but it couldn't be helped. I blinked again.

I knew that face…

Master Flying Rhino looked worried. Perhaps he could help me find Master Oogway. In the mean time, this familiar face meant my safety. He was saying something to me, but I couldn't understand.

My eyes fell closed to Rhino. I recognized one word on his lips: Help.

~*~*~*~*~

Amadi sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose with thumb and forefinger. The fur on the back of her neck rose.

"Ige," she growled. The hyena in front of her bared his teeth aggressively, a high cackle escaping his throat. "I made you head of the guard for what reason?"

Ige stared ahead as Amadi circled him closely, her nose near his neck at all times. If she didn't smell fear, he didn't respect her, and he would be killed. Her bare paws smacked gently on the canvas floor of her tent, cold from the packed snow beneath.

"Nothing escapes my guard," he replied with confidence.

"I heard a disturbing rumor from Ramla this evening. Do you know what it was?"

"No, _Kgosi,_" he replied flatly.

Enraged by his ignorance, Amadi fisted his hackle and threw him down with a menacing growl. Ige cackled again. A spike of bitterness rose through his stench, quelling her anger a bit. That was the fear she'd been looking for. She allowed herself a rare, indulgent sniff of his mottled brown fur and dirty armor, reveling in his weakness.

"You failed me," she seethed in his ear.

"Impos –" She slapped him, barking with a snap of her teeth to induce silence. He winced, but didn't move from his prone position. He glared into the canvas.

"One of your guards _failed_ to stop a strange traveler two days ago. He could have had weapons. He could have had _food_. He could have _been_ food!"

"How?" Ige snapped, desperate to defend himself against her verbal onslaught. "This damn blizzard started _three_ days ago!"

"I know when the damn snows came, ingrate!" Her paw landed on his curved neck, making him yelp in pain. Closing her eyes, she breathed deep through her nose, registering the fear to calm her temper. Her voice came out cool.

"Had it not been for the snow, I would have the Sword of Heroes, the village would be burned, and we would be trekking back to warmer weather by now."

But with a wistful laugh and a shrug of her shoulder, Amadi crouched before him and grabbed his chin, forcing him to look up into her grinning face.

"But if you're so adamant, then prove me wrong. Send one of your _Paki_ up to the village. If the stranger is there, both you and your subordinate will answer to Gwandoya. Am I understood?"

Ige nodded against the force of her hand. With a cackle, she drove his head into the floor again. He continued nodding into the canvas as she sauntered to the pile of bright pillows that served as her bed, and the male hyena that awaited her there. Ige lost the breath he was holding, and began laughing uncontrollably.

~*~*~*~*~

A/N: Greetings again. Hope this held your interest. R&R, if you would be so kind. The chapters following this will probably get a little longer. Plot will also become clearer, I just wanted to get some of the setting into place before hand. Names:

_Amadi: _African name that means "seemed destined to die at birth" in Yoruba.

_Ige:_ African name that means "born feet first" in Yoruba.

_Kgosi_: African name meaning "king or chief" in Tswana; used here as a title rather than a name.

_Paki: _African name meaning "witness" in Xhosa; used here as a title rather than a name.


	3. Mud & Meddling

Kung Fu Panda and its original cast belong to DreamWorks. I do not own. Cha Gung village and its inhabitants (with the exception of Master Flying Rhino), and the Fisi Clan are of my own twisted imagination. Yum.

Chapter Two

Master Flying Rhino carried a tray of food from the kitchen, walking on polished wood floors through a pristine home. The place was small, humble, and followed the rules of _feng shui_, leaving lots of open space to maximize potential. His great strides carried him to the bedroom. He knocked twice on the frame of the screen, then opened it and stepped inside. Zhong Zan looked up from the scroll he was studying, a small smile on his face.

"Good morning, Master," he greeted, bowing his head. Rhino was glad to see him sitting up; few people could take a beating like Zhong Zan.

"Brought you breakfast," Rhino said curtly, but there was warmth in the deep tones.

"Master…" Zhong Zan moaned mildly.

"You will rest for today. I'll get someone else to take up your rounds."

"I'm fine, I can – "

"You endured a nerve attack from a kung fu master last night. You will rest today." Rhino set the tray on his student's lap with an undignified clatter, brooking no argument.

"Yes, Master," Zhong Zan said reluctantly, contemplating the bowl of hot rice. He looked up from the food, worry written over his gray face.

"How is he?"

"Worse, thanks to that stupid stunt he tried to pull." Rhino sighed, his small ears falling low. He looked at the polished wood floor. If the panda hadn't been in trouble before, he was certainly in trouble now.

"Master?"

Rhino looked up, realizing his display of emotion was making his student uncomfortable. He shook his head, trying to smile, though he was sure he failed miserably. He let it fall; being serious was much more comfortable, more practiced. "If I know Shifu, he'll make it. But not without consequences."

Zhong Zan looked down again. Rhino mustered up his sentiment, clapping a hand on his student's shoulder in a misplaced attempt at reassurance. "Don't worry about him. Shifu's not one of the greatest kung fu masters for nothing."

"Yes, Master," the younger rhino mumbled, but his voice lacked sincerity. Rhino couldn't bring himself to blame his student for his open display of emotions. Much was hanging in the balance, both for the welfare of the village, and for their unexpected guest.

"Tai Hui will be in to check on you later," he said. "Get some rest."

Zhong Zan bowed his head as Rhino turned to leave. Once the screen clacked shut, the great master let his shoulders sag. What a mess this all was! His best student was lucky to be alive after last night's events. Shifu shouldn't have been conscious enough to do what he had done, and it was by a stroke of good fortune that the aim of his nerve attack had been off kilter, or Zhong Zan's heart would be no more.

Flying Rhino sighed a great gust of air, leaving Zhong Zan's home as quietly as he had come. Enjoying the cold breeze that slipped past the cliffs, he made his way toward the center of the village.

Cha Gung village was cleverly tucked into the mountainside, nestled beneath a fifty-foot outcrop. The residential huts were built near the inner wall, the "center" of the village. Rhino's modest home was the centermost, guarding the fissure that led deep into the heart of the mountain.

The blizzard still raged outside, going on its fourth day of terrible winds and flying ice. All but the outskirts of the village remained untouched by the whipping precipitation, thanks to the overhang, and the wind was naught but a frigid breeze beyond the outermost buildings. Tiny drifts of soft powder trailed on the slightest wind, dusting the roofs and the few streets like powdered sugar. Summer would be late this year. He didn't mind; the longer the Fisi Clan was held back by the weather, the better for his village.

Rhino opened the door to his home. The dark cherry wood of the entryway was still stained, and he wondered if they would ever get the black traces of blood scrubbed out. He feared the stain would have a negative impact on the peaceful _qi_ that ran through his house if he left it; but removal of it would have to wait.

The warrior removed his snow tunic and hung it on its peg by the door, stomping his feet gently to shake them clean. At the end of the hall stood the guest bedroom, the center of what little focus he had to spare for the last three days. Rhino's ears perked forward, listening for any wayward sounds as he neared the dividing screen. He didn't know whether to be relieved or worried about the utter silence. Quietly, he slid the screen open and stepped inside.

His wife, Tai Hui, sat beside the raised bed mat. Occupying a small fraction of the mat was Shifu. Rhino came to stand behind her, placing a hand lightly on her shoulder even as she worked.

"How is he?"

"No better," she answered, her dulcet tones flat and to the point. She shook out a fresh terry cloth, dunking it in a bowl of snow water and wringing out a little of the excess. "But no worse, either."

It was the best that could be expected.

Rhino grumbled, watching her care for his friend. Tai Hui had rolled the red panda onto his uninjured side to keep his airway clear in the event of more vomiting. The constant tears, an affect of Fisi poison, matted the rusty fur around his eyes and across the bridge of his nose. His dark brows furrowed with obvious pain, marring the sunburst mark between his eyes.

Shifu's temperature was still far too high. After stripping him down, Tai Hui had spent hours wetting all the fur she could to keep him cool. It made Rhino wonder – not for the first time – how horrible it must be for furry creatures to be unable to sweat. Both Shifu and the bed were soaked. Even his tail (always so fluffy!) was sogged down to the pathetic resemblance of an alley cat.

The tiny warrior trembled worse than any of Rhino's afflicted soldiers, tremors and twitches shaking him down to his core. It rendered any movement uncontrolled, not to mention harmful to his wound.

"We're going to need more linen strips…" Rhino mumbled.

"The village is running low on medical supplies," his wife sighed. "I'll boil the drapes later and cut them down."

"Tai Hui!" he gasped. "Those are your favorite fabrics!"

"The village needs to keep all the medical supplies possible as long as those heartless nomads are out there," she groused, her small ears lowering a bit in frustration. She sighed, wiping the back of Shifu's neck. "In the mean time, I don't think our guest will care how his wound is dressed as long as he doesn't bleed to death."

Rhino was reminded once again that his wife was the only person he could never win an argument with.

"If that's what you want," he acquiesced. "Are there at least enough bandages to last until this evening?"

"I should hope so, or I doubt he'll make it another night."

Rhino pinched the bridge of his snout hard. He didn't know how one of the hyenas had landed a blow on the young master, but there was no doubt it had been done. Bandages swathed the panda's middle, a feeble attempt to control the bleeding. The wound, a ragged slice from a dull blade, cut deeply into his left side. It rendered him asunder with a wound that should have killed him.

Yet he lived.

Shaking his head with disbelief, Rhino reached out, placing a hand on Shifu's forehead. His ears twitched independently of each other – a sign that his coordination was gone. If this went on much longer, his lungs and heart wouldn't work properly either. But he'd made it this far…

"Has he taken any water?"

"No. I can't keep his head still enough. What little he takes doesn't stay down, either." She wiped down his back, then one of his arms, mindful of the bandages encircling his hand. Her head sank, voice coming with a rare softness. "How long will he have to suffer like this, Rhino?"

"…I don't know," he answered, patting her back comfortingly. "I don't know."

Tai Hui was right to worry. Rhino had lost several soldiers to the mysterious poison that lanced the weapons of the chaotic Fisi Clan. The nomadic hyena tribe was disorganized, barbaric, and their leader somehow ruled over the group of over 400 ruthless killers. Cha Gung village was sadly outnumbered five to one. But how could hyenas take down a village of powerful rhinos? Simple:

With sheer numbers and poison.

The first attacks had been nothing, leaving a few soldiers sick from battle wounds, but easily recovered. Soon, though, the poison became stronger. Now a single swipe of a Fisi blade could take down a Cha Gung soldier and make him suffer for days until his spirit gave up.

What could poison meant for a 2,000-pound juggernaut do to a 20-pound pipsqueak? Surely, the weapon that struck him must have been dirty or wet, and by all accounts Shifu still shouldn't have been able to make the climb up from the pass.

"…ino. Rhino!" The sharp edge of Tai Hui's voice shook him out of his thoughts. He blinked, collecting himself quickly.

"Yes, dear?" She was looking up at him with a sardonic glare, but her face softened immediately.

"Will you bring me the scissors from the night stand? His dressings need to be changed."

With a nod, he retrieved the implement and handed it to her. As Tai Hui readied the linen strips and poured more water into a clean bowl, Rhino carefully shifted Shifu onto his back. The red panda's ragged breath caught in his throat, eyes fluttering as his expression tightened.

Rhino held him gently by the shoulders, trying to prevent as much movement as possible. Tai Hui began to cut the bandages away, and Shifu flinched. The huge warrior felt some of his resolve crumble. The realization that Shifu was somewhere close to consciousness struck when his arms, slow and trembling, rose against Rhino's bulky wrists. Those nimble, articulate fingers, capable of wielding so much power, now barely held a grasp.

Tai Hui was tender and quick, pulling the dressings away from a sticky, bloody mess. Shifu had ripped the wound open the night before, while Zhong Zan had been watching over him. After felling him with a nerve attack executed on pure instinct, the red panda had somehow fallen out of bed. Tearing himself open after two days of fighting the poison had cost him what little healing there was and then some.

Whatever Fisi weapon that got him had gotten him good… Even now, the wound was seeping too freely. The white fur of Shifu's chest and belly was stained pink. His chestnut shoulders and hips, and dark arms and legs were both stained with blood and matted from the constant wiping down. The actual wound was the worst of it; ragged, gaping slightly and crusted with blood. Rhino firmly believed it was by some miracle the weapon had sliced between his lung and bowel, missing his vital organs.

Tai Hui's face turned grim, her brow tightening and lips thinning into a severe line. Rhino knew that look, and he held his breath for the blow.

"Rhino, get me some clay."

Dread lanced through the great warrior like a bolt of lightning. "Are you certain?" he asked, his tone harsher than he had meant it to be.

"Yes, I'm certain!" she snapped, dark eyes shining with fatigue-induced temper. "I want the smoothest clay possible from the Secret Lair of Souls. Go. Now."

Rhino cursed hotly, grabbing the old water bowl and stomping out of the room and down the hall. The back screen opened directly into the fissure he was devoted to guarding. Grabbing a torch stick by the door, he lit it from the hallway sconce and walked briskly into the natural stone tunnel.

The ceiling was high, the pathway narrow; a natural, giant crack in the mountain's ancient body. At a jog, his eyes barely registered what little detail the light revealed. It was as if the mountain itself devoured the flickering glow, swallowing it into a maw of endless shadows. Tunnel after tunnel passed him left and right, at times forcing him to choose a new direction. He navigated the labyrinth with ease.

It took only moments for Master Flying Rhino to step into an enormous chamber. The Secret Lair of Souls. The Sacred River of Healing flowed through at a narrow stretch here, offering its ethereal aquamarine glow as a means of lighting the cathedral-esque chamber. On the other side of the quietly flowing water was a simple cherry wood stand, polished and cared for with the greatest respect. This was the resting place of the sword of heroes.

Rhino shelved the torch in the wall sconce by the entrance, put down the bowl, and bowed to the Lair. After showing his respects, he retrieved the bowl and walked to the river, kneeling at its bank. The silty clay here was some of the purest in China, used to pack wounds and absorb toxins. But this clay was not for just anyone; it was sacred, and tradition ruled that only those pure of heart could survive the rigor of its healing properties.

This was, of course, a legend Rhino had purposely started to divert the deluge of sick visitors who would travel to the village, desperate for a miracle cure for their ailments. It was, nevertheless, the finest and cleanest clay in the land.

If Tai Hui was asking for it, Shifu was worse off than they had thought. Packing a wound with the stuff was effective, but one of the most painful experiences one could suffer through. Rhino was thankful the young master probably wouldn't remember any of this. At least he hoped.

Scooping some of the precious mud into the bowl, Master Rhino bowed again before leaving the Secret Lair and quickly returned to the house. Tai Hui was making soothing shushing sounds when he came back, carefully cleaning the fur around Shifu's wound with one hand while the other restrained him, pressing a little on his chest. She heard her husband walk in.

"Oh good," she quipped. "Hold him down. Once we're done with this you can hold his head still so I can force some fluids."

Rhino sighed, placing the bowl on the nightstand as he neared the bed. Distantly, he wondered how much more the young master could take.

~*~*~*~*~

Tendaji made things happen. Good things. Things that ensured he ate every day. He looked after his _Paki,_ protected and fed them as long as they gave him what he wanted: information. He was the best of all of them. He could collect the goods on his own without so much as a paw print in the snow. But growing boys need to be fed, and they worked hard to earn their keep.

The young teenager leaned back against the foot of the cliff. The stone was cold, its jagged edges softened by the burlap cloak he wore. He crossed his arms to harbor the warmth in his chest, kept his eyes closed to shut out the cutting flurries.

Tendaji made things happen. Good things for his _Paki_. His nostrils flared faintly, taking in the luscious, dusty-stale scents from the pack at his side. The bread was old, nearly bad, but it was more than enough incentive for his comrades to give him what he wanted. He was the bread-winner, after all; no one else.

He bowed his lengthy neck, tucking his chin against the wind. He liked it here. He wanted to stay. His dense, striped fur faired much better here than in the Savannah, the homeland of the vast majority of the clan. This, the largest Fisi tribe, had prospered in their simple nomadic ways between Africa and India. His parents (the useless rutters…) had somehow crossed into the social structure of the spotted ones, enduring the drying heat of the plains since before Tendaji could remember.

Now, _finally_, _Kgosi_ Amadi had led them into these mountains for a treasure that would make them prosper even more. And when they prospered, they ate.

The shuffling of rock dust over the face of the cliff drew Tendaji's gaze upward just as another hyena landed before him. He watched the young cub with fierce eyes, glaring down his muzzle at him.

"Otieno," he growled. This was who he had come to see: the outsider, the _awiti_.

The young cub before him shivered and hunched, eyes darting nervously about in search of others.

"Just us," Tendaji said simply, reaching into his pack. "Here." He tossed a small piece of bread casually, and the cub picked it out of the snow with eager hands, devouring it in a single slobbering mouthful. He dipped his nose into the snow, snuffing to see if he'd missed any morsels. Tendaji sneered in mild disgust.

"What have you heard?" he asked.

The child looked up with wide, chocolate eyes and perked ears. After a moment of staring, he crawled forward in the snow, approaching Tendaji with mild reluctance. Once close enough, he stuck a finger in the smooth snow between them and began to draw. The pattern of the village emerged as his paw flew, a picture that was now familiar to the striped hyena.

Otieno X-ed out one of the huts, turned away from his diagram, and began to draw another picture. This one took longer, but by the time he was done, Tendaji was scowling at the doodle. He crouched over it to get a better look, staring at the outline in the shadows of the cliff.

It looked like some kind of overgrown rat with kites for ears. It wasn't a creature he could identify.

"The strange traveler?" he questioned. Otieno nodded emphatically, grunting, and drew a few squiggly lines out from the side of the creature. He pointed at it, then at the hut.

"Shit…" the teenager hissed, though a smirk pulled intently at the corners of his lips. Whoever the traveler was, he was injured and being aided by the rhinos. Amadi would have Ige's head for this. "Anything else?"

Otieno held out a tiny hand for more bread – a sign he had no more information. Tendaji eyed him skeptically for a moment, then took the pack from around his waist and handed it to the cub. Otieno's eyes grew so large they looked close to popping out of his head.

"Good work," Tendaji signaled. With only a second's hesitation, Otieno grabbed the sac and skittered back up the mountain face without looking back. The teenager smirked to himself, knowing the extra burlap blanket in the sac would encourage the mute boy to stay one step ahead of the other _Paki_ in his group. And that was a very good thing.

Now the striped hyena could go back to his tiny tent and mull over the new information. He had the tough decision of taking it to _Kgosi_ Amadi right away, or lording it over Ige's head first. A rare laugh erupted deep in his throat as he disappeared into the drifting flurries.

Tendaji always made good things happen.

~*~*~*~*~

A/N: Hola. R&R if you find yourself so magnanimous to do so. For the record, I am fascinated by and love hyenas and the many mysteries that come with studying them. Their social structure is amazing and they are all around amazing animals. They just happen to fit the bad guy profile really well! XD Now, names:

_Tai Hui_ can mean great intelligence, depending on the Chinese characters used to spell the name.

_Tendaji_ means "makes things happen" in Swahili.

_Otieno_ means "born at night" in Luo.

_Awiti_ means "thrown away" in Luo, used here as a title rather than a name.

And in case anyone was wondering, I am aware that some of these African names are meant specifically for males or females. I intentionally mix and match the gender specific names, more or less an homage to the role-switching nature of the hyena.

Thanks again for your support!


	4. Moon Pools & Mud Packs

_Again, a big thank you to my reviewers, Red Panda Obsessor and Black Raider. Thank you very much for your support, guys, you rock. ^_^_

**Chapter Three**

~*~*~*~*~

Master Oogway sighed a deep, collecting breath, making his slow way to the Sacred Hall of Warriors. It was colder than usual, forcing the tortoise to wrap up in a second, then a third robe to keep what little heat he had under his shell. The snows were coming steady now, a slow moving storm from the north, and he had to wonder why on earth he'd ventured outside. But, it couldn't be avoided.

He had just bid farewell to the best artist in China, offering another apology for the inconvenience. The old crane had insisted it was fine, and he would board in the valley until the subject of his newest painting returned.

But Shifu still had not come home.

Normally, Oogway wouldn't have thought much of one of his students being waylaid at some point during a long journey – it had happened a number of times over the centuries. But something hung in the air today, a thick apprehension that disrupted his normally peaceful thoughts. Even his morning meditation had been sub-par, the windless snow causing that ominous, vacant silence.

The Grand Master found himself contemplating an empty section of wall in the Sacred Hall of Warriors, the spot where the silk painting of Master Shifu would hang in a matter of days. It was to be a surprise for the young master, who had come so far in only eleven years. He should have returned nearly three days ago, just in time for Master Painter Crane to arrive today.

So much for his punctual nature… Oogway chuckled at the thought of the young red panda running late – what an unlikely turn of events! But… he supposed that was why a niggling sense of worry had been sending unpleasant chills down his spine all morning.

Of all the students he'd had in his near-millennium of training others, Shifu was quickly becoming the one he trusted most. For decades now, he had been looking for the one to take up his mantle when the time of his enlightenment finally came. He also hoped to see the choosing of the Dragon Warrior, but if that responsibility was to be left to Shifu, Oogway didn't think he would mind missing out.

Right now, though, he couldn't help but wonder where the young man was, and what was keeping him. Another spark of worry ignited in the tortoise's old heart, sending a shiver of unease all the way through his shell.

Sighing heavily, Oogway meandered to the Moon Pool. There were no peach blossom petals to caress the surface of the crystal water – spring was a few weeks off yet, and would probably arrive late if the still-deep banks were any indication. It was times like these he sincerely missed the tropical temperatures of his birthplace. A gentle smile lit his face as he remembered Shifu during his first winter at the Jade Palace…

_Oogway had been planning to make his way from the barracks to the kitchen when he spotted the boy. The red panda cub – hardly a cub at ten years! – was sitting on the porch, wrapped in a blanket, watching the snow as it made its silent way to the ground. For once, he was sitting still… And he wasn't stealing anything._

_But what caught the Grand Master's attention about his new student was the way those sizeable ears were twitching. They danced with the tiniest of movements, almost trembling as they followed sounds Oogway was sure he would never be able to hear. Though he wasn't fond of the idea of carrying a conversation outside when it was this cold, he felt it was a good opportunity to talk face to face with the boy, make another effort to reach out to him… So he walked up behind Shifu, noticing with a wry smirk the ear that flicked in his direction._

"_Do you like snow?" Oogway asked. He sat gingerly next to the boy, studying his face. His look was distant and contemplative. The question seemed to have pulled him out of a thought, and he turned his head to glare mildly at the old tortoise, pink nose flaring just a little. After a moment though, he sighed and looked into the courtyard again, pulling his blanket closer over his narrow shoulders._

"_Only when there's no wind," he answered, and Oogway felt a spark of relief settle in his heart. Shifu was hard to talk to, but he was softening, if ever-so-slowly._

"_Ah. Winter winds can be bitter," Oogway agreed._

"_That's not it." The reply was so quiet and immediate it made the kung fu master blink. He watched Shifu expectantly. His white face was gentle – not scowling, for a change – dark brows arching up as he studied the large falling flakes. Maybe he was finally remembering something pleasant, even if he was constantly frowning. He finally took a deep breath and spoke as he watched the weather._

"_I like the cold most of all, but the wind… It ruins the snow."_

"_Ruins it?" Oogway had to admit his curiosity was piqued. "How so?"_

_Shifu's shoulders shifted again under the blanket, forming a shrug that was swallowed up by the mound of fabric he swam in. _

"_Makes it too loud."_

_There was another long pause, in which Oogway stared at the fire fox until he rolled his blue eyes and explained._

"_The snow flakes… They sort of sing. Get it?"_

"_No," Oogway replied with a chuckle. He coughed the sound short when Shifu's ears fell back. He grunted in annoyance, glaring at the master with the imminent threat of getting up and leaving to have time to himself somewhere else. Oogway was more than familiar with the pattern by now._

_Just as Shifu jumped up out of his blanket to run, Oogway grabbed him by the scruff and settled the tiny thing in his lap. _

"_Forgive an old man his misgivings," he said brightly, looking down at the sulking ball of fur. The robe Shifu was wearing was far too big for him, but there wasn't anything smaller in the palace. He had to share clothes with a much younger snow leopard cub until he stopped running away from the seamstress. Oogway would also be happy to start teaching him kung fu if he would stop running away from himself and the other masters…_

"_Now," he said in a calm voice, "stay here and be my furnace for a while. I'm cold-blooded, you know." He paused for a goodly chuckle. "Why don't you explain this music to me? I would very much like to learn what you hear, Shifu."_

Shaking his head back to the present, Oogway grunted in rare annoyance. His mind was wandering and unfocused again, drifting for what seemed the hundredth time in just a few days. The energies around him were being thrown off balance, and he didn't know why.

With a resigned sigh he decided to try meditating again. Perhaps he would gain some enlightenment as to the welfare of his only current student… He sat before the Moon Pool, setting his staff carefully aside as he assumed the most relaxing pose for meditation: the lotus position.

A clarifying breath was all he needed to detach himself from the harsh bonds of the visible realm and sink into the simple, unblemished canvas of the energies of the universe.

~*~*~*~*~

I was exhausted. I was in pain. I was pissed.

I just wanted to sleep. I didn't care that I was somewhere safe, I wanted to be away. The only away I had was sleeping, and I couldn't get to it.

I was too uncomfortable to go somewhere dark.

There was pressure on my shoulders again. My body shifted. My aching side throbbed. I was trying to _sleep,_ damnit!

I felt fabric shift against the grain of fur on my back. Wanted to kill the bed sheets for bothering me. Make everything go away so I could rest.

I was so tired. Fed up with being moved around all the time.

…I can't sleep on my back. I wanted to be on my belly, but no one would let me. I couldn't move by myself. My body still wouldn't listen to me. How long had it been…?

I didn't even know where I was. Only that someone familiar was here, but for the life of me I couldn't bring myself to remember or care.

Something shifted under my head – a hand, maybe… These movements were becoming familiar. My head was forced up. Something pressed to my lips. I tried to turn away.

I didn't want water, I wanted to sleep!

The bowl tipped, spilling liquid into my mouth. It didn't taste like water. I coughed, winced at the sharp pulling pain when I did. I gave up fighting and swallowed some. Didn't want much; I would throw up. … I might anyway.

I wanted to be left alone.

The air in the room changed. My head was lowered down. Noise burst in my ears and I turned my head away. … Would've been easier if I knew which way away was… There were people talking. Just tones to me, no words. My heartbeat was too strong in my ears.

There was strange pressure on my ear. I could have sighed with relief. Only one person pinched my ear like that. I didn't know who she was, but she was gentler than the others. This person dulled my pain and helped me sleep. Maybe she would stay with me for a little while.

It meant sleep was close at hand. Only a little more discomfort and then I could rest. My breathing eased a little.

Cool cloth brushed over my eyelids. It felt good. I could almost relax. Gentle touch stroked over my forehead, easing my headache. The sound in my ears wasn't so loud, more constant and soothing, like a song without words. My brow relaxed. The rest of me slowly followed.

…

…

I didn't know I had been drifting until someone touched my side. I jerked in surprise. My body tensed in a wave of dull pain. Still dull… Not too late. If I ignored everything, I could go back to sleep.

Pressure on my shoulders. I groaned. Not now, I was resting! Noise burst in my ears, dragging me closer to awake. Something bad was about to happen.

Cloth cinched around my middle, annoying the gritty feeling in my stomach. I growled. I didn't want to do this. The cloth fell away. Cool air near the source of my pain felt nice, dulling an itch I hadn't known was there until now. I sighed.

Hands shifted under me. My eyes flew open as I was lifted. The light was too bright. I squeezed my eyes shut. Oh gods! Pain ripped through my side. It burned and stretched as if something was lodged in my flesh. I cried out. There was too much movement. Too sudden. I didn't know which way was up. Cold waves cut through the paralyzing pain. I was going to be sick…

The shifting suddenly stopped. I felt something soft against my ear. I was laying on my right side again. The aching pain radiated, throbbing to my pulse. I didn't know where the source was anymore. That was going to linger; I had a bad feeling about today. I curled my legs in to keep from throwing up.

That was stupid. I caused my pain to worsen, and I yelled. I was ready to puke. A hand pulled on my scruff, released and pulled again. It went on for a long time. My stomach eased. The chills lessened. There were still hands on my shoulders, keeping me still. Hands on my paws now, and on my scruff. …How many people were doing this to me? They weren't letting go. They weren't done with me yet.

I dug my left hand into the sheets. There was no way to avoid what was going to happen next. I panted, squinted my eyes open. I wished for strength. The grip on my scruff disappeared. I braced myself for hell.

Coolness trickled through my fur. After a while I realized it was water. It felt good, soothing my irritated skin. A cloth swept firmly over my arms, down my back. It set my fur straight, and I sighed with relief. I didn't feel so hot and nauseous anymore. I decided I liked this. I could stay here, floating between sleeping and not. I didn't mind.

But then it brushed over my side. More water started washing away whatever was stuck inside me. It stung. Then burned. I squirmed against it. My captors held me down. I fisted the bed sheets again, grit my teeth. My leg kicked out and I didn't mean to. The grip on my paws tightened.

I felt rough cloth scrubbing against the block. Spears of white-hot pain lanced against my lungs, into my gut. I screamed. After that I couldn't breathe. My body was splitting itself in two! I trembled. Fire coursed through me. Something razed against my insides. I coughed, and then I couldn't stop. Every breath burned, there was so little air to take in. Every jerk of my muscles sent spots flying across my vision, hot daggers deep into my gut. I'd never felt pain like this!

Is this what dying felt like? It was too much.

Black suddenly swallowed me whole. Blessed numbness washed over me like a winter breeze. Everything faded away. I was floating. I was comfortable with this lack of sensation. I could open my eyes here, and I did.

Mountain bamboo forests. Home of my ancestors. Everything looked real, but it was distanced by an invisible veil, as if I could look but couldn't touch. I knew this wasn't death, but I was glad for the respite anyway.

I sat high in a lonely birch tree, overlooking mile after mile of bamboo stalks. If _this_ was what dying felt like, I didn't mind. There was no pain here. No hunger, no fatigue. I took a deep, cleansing breath through my nose and exhaled slowly, studying the lemon yellow sky. There was no sun here, but there didn't need to be one for it to be bright and relaxing. I could just sit here and be content to stay for a long, long time. I wanted to.

But I was sad. I knew I couldn't stay. This was just an escape, a safe place in my head to turn to, and it wouldn't last long. I almost wished to be at the Jade Palace, to see Master Oogway and talk to him.

"Shifu?"

I nearly fell from my perch, whirling around to look behind me. I had to admit it was nice when my brain actually listened to me, which was less often than I'd admit to anyone.

"Master Oogway!" I smiled and bowed respectfully.

My master looked confused, standing there on the broad base of the tree bough. He seemed out of place somehow, and he didn't look happy to see me. I wondered if I had done something wrong.

"What happened?" he gasped. I frowned, confused.

"What do you mean, Master?" My side twinged suddenly. I clapped a hand over it, annoyed. No, pain wasn't allowed here.

"Oh dear…" Oogway looked genuinely disturbed. It was rare to see him in anything but a peaceful or somber state of mind, but then this wasn't real, was it? But I was still worried, and rightfully so, I thought. I knew Oogway too well. Even my mind's representation of him couldn't be _this_ inaccurate.

"What has you so troubled, Master?" I asked, walking to him over the narrow path of wood.

"Where are you, Shifu?" The urgency in his voice made my ear twitch. I quirked a brow at him.

"You mean besides here? I don't know."

His claws came to rest gently on my shoulders and he looked me in the eye.

"Where are you, child? I need you to remember."

I watched his eyes, my brow furrowing in confusion. This mental escape was starting to scare me a little. Oogway hadn't called me 'child' in years; why would my mind be bringing it up now? The twinge under my ribs blossomed into a horrible cramp. I buckled with a gasp, unprepared for such a vivid sensation in what was supposed to be my refuge. Oogway knelt before me, brushing a claw comfortingly over my ears.

My hand felt warm and sticky. I lifted it to my eyes, confused as to why –

… That did not look good. My hand was coated in blood. I couldn't recall being injured recently, or even being in a fight. But my memories were just bits and pieces lately… I looked up to ask my master, gain some insight.

Oogway was gone, and in his place stood the Adversary. I frowned at the stupid training bobble. Why on earth was this thing here? And where had Master Oogway gone? Why couldn't he have stayed? This training prop certainly didn't belong here!

The ache flared. Sound exploded out of the Adversary, nearly deafened my ears. I jumped back on the bough and nearly lost my footing. I glared at the damn dummy, determined to stay here no matter what it took. This place was _supposed _to be quiet and painless, and I wasn't going to leave here.

Another surge of noise and pain dropped me to my knees. I wrapped my arms tightly against my ribs, trying to stop the pain from spreading. I squeezed my eyes shut against a sudden, frigid breeze. The moment my eyelids closed, I was yanked backward. I lost my balance on the branch and fell.

Everything came back so suddenly I wanted to be sick. I felt my ears fold. Someone was forcing one of my eyes open. Their deafening voices were still there, still muffled. Even louder than before, it seemed.

I still couldn't breathe. Would _nothing_ get better between my visits to the surface?!

Someone pulled hard on my ear. I tried to growl, but I couldn't get enough air. I turned my face into the mattress, panting heavily. This all needed to go away, or I was going to throw up, and I would make sure I threw up _on_ someone! I was so tired of being bothered.

Something tickled pleasantly down my back. My mental tirade froze. Everything was… quiet. Actually quiet. The tickling sensation trailed down my back again. I recognized that feeling… My brush. It relaxed me, giving me something good to focus on. It soothed my nerves and cooled me. I lost track of how long it went on. I was finally starting to relax when it stopped.

I wanted the brush to keep going. I didn't understand why it had to stop. I opened my eyes, squinting against the light. Everything was blurry and waterlogged.

Among the gray people, someone stood in the corner. He was green. I couldn't see his face very well, but I knew.

Master Oogway.

I stared at him, and he at me, for what seemed like a long time. He was here? Or was I seeing things? Was I hoping for too much?

Something passed by closed to my face – close enough for me to see clearly. It looked like a bowl of mud. And then my brain clicked.

Clay pack.

Oh no. No, no, no, _no!_ I was _not_ about to lay here and let these people stuff me full of mud! I yelled, I squirmed. I tried to kick my way out. The grip on my ankles tightened. A hand left my shoulder to pin my wrists by my chest on the mattress. My pain only worsened when my muscles kept tensing up. I began trembling. I knew I was whimpering, and I didn't care.

A hand rubbed at my forehead for a moment. Another on my back. A cool, wet cloth came down over my eyes and stayed there. A blindfold of sorts. It was not a comfort. It only mocked me with a darkness I wished I could fall into. But there was no escaping this. This was not a good day.

If the ancestors could hear me, I begged them not to let this happen. I didn't want to go through this, I _couldn't_ be so bad off as to need this kind of treatment! Some stupid part of me swore I was going to die. I would do _anything_ to avoid a clay pack, why wouldn't the words come out of my mouth?!

The hand on my back lifted away; the one on my forehead stayed, pressing a little. I tried to breathe. My trembling worsened. My heartbeat roared loud and fast in my ears. I squirmed. I didn't want to do this!

Grit forced its way into my side, splitting me in half from belly to back.

I screamed.

~*~*~*~*~

Master Oogway gasped and startled. For a moment he was too dizzy to tell which way was up. His head throbbed, bursts of color sparkled behind his eyelids. It wasn't until he felt the gentle rocking motion that he realized he'd toppled himself onto his back.

Oogway sighed, hiding his head in the calming darkness of his shell. He breathed deep, collecting himself with the ease of centuries of practice. Even with all that practice and experience, there were times when it was appropriate to be disturbed.

This was one of those times.

He hadn't forced his way out of a vision in over 500 years. Hence the migraine… Then again, he hadn't expected to see what he had just seen. That had not been a normal vision.

It seemed his spirit had just been where Shifu was, even talked to him. Everything about it – the sensations he felt, the colors he saw, the interactions he had with the energies of others – told him it had been an out of body experience. He rarely had them, normally seeing vague glimpses of what might happen in the future, or even rarer discoveries of the secrets within the flow of the universe.

But what he saw had been far too vivid to be a run-of-the-mill out of body experience. He recognized the room he had been standing in as a room he had stayed in during a visit, once… He had then recognized two of the three rhinos bustling about: his old student, Master Flying Rhino, and his lovely wife Tai Hui. And then there was Shifu.

Oogway retreated deeper into his shell. Calm, clarifying breaths.

The boy was almost a son to him! What on earth had transpired to land him, injured and fighting for his life, in Cha Gung pass in the middle of a blizzard? What really worried him, though, was that Shifu had been staring at him, as if he had been there in body as well as spirit. The master tortoise had just seen a rare, second-for-second glimpse of the present as it was happening elsewhere. If the youngest master had actually seen him, it meant death was lingering close by.

No. Rhino and his wife looked like they had things as in control as possible. Despite what may have happened, Shifu was safe, and being looked after. He could only pray that fate would see to Shifu's best interests, whether the outcome was what Oogway hoped for or not. But he fervently hoped that the young man would live…

These times would be trying at best, for everyone who cared for the young master. Oogway had the distinct feeling he would need all the patience and strength he could muster to stay here in the Palace as long as the snow and cold weather continued. Rhino was sure to send word of these events soon, if he hadn't already. Oogway would just have to wait until then, lest he send a message to Cha Gung concerning events he wasn't supposed to know about yet. Doing such a thing made most people uncomfortable… He would wait to receive word first.

In the mean time, he sighed and stayed in his shell. He would relax here until one of the palace aids passed by and ask them for assistance. Even when he could get back up on his own with ease, he enjoyed giving the helpers a new challenge. It would certainly lead to some very confused palace hands, and perhaps a little merriment for the unexpectedly dark turn the day had taken. Turning over a 600-pound tortoise would prove quite a lesson in patience.

~*~*~*~*~

_A/N: M'kay, before reviewing, I'd like you to know that I had some very long and painful conversations with my roomie and my beta to get Shifu's narration as close to a real experience as possible. My goal was to make him relatable to all readers, but especially to those with any hospital experience as a patient. Thanks to them, I think this installment is a heck of a lot better than it was originally. Thank you, Am, and you, Arte!_


	5. Panoramic World View

This is where I tell people that I own my OCs, but I sadly do not own anything that belongs to Dreamworks. This is also where I burst into unashamed tears at such a fact. Alas, I weep. -_-;

**Chapter Four**

Tendaji was very happy. With a satisfied groan, he laid back in the pile of new blankets in his small tent. They weren't really new, per se, but he had aired them out in the frigid winter winds for quite some time to get Captain Ige's stench out of them. He splayed his toes under the thick material, enjoying the warmth that had collected against his fur.

Blackmail was definitely a good thing. And he enjoyed good things.

Ige had been both furious and terrified to hear that a traveler had successfully passed by one of his guards. That sentry had nearly been killed in Ige's senseless rage, babbling something about practically gutting the small stranger. That much seemed true, according to Otieno's depictions. But what really caught Tendaji's ear was the mention of the stranger's ability to move like lightning, and that he had practically floated up the side of the mountain even as he left a trail of blood behind.

This intrigued the teenage hyena. In a way, he almost wanted to meet this rat-like person. If he lived through the custard apple poison that laced every weapon in the Fisi Clan. In which case he was probably long dead, seeing as the sentry had failed to stop him six days ago.

Tendaji shrugged to himself. Oh well, it would have been an interesting encounter. Now, though, it was almost time to tell Amadi what he knew. He'd gotten all that he could out of Ige – blankets, extra food, some of that strange Chinese armor they'd looted several villages back – as payment for keeping the failure of his guard a secret from the clan leader. Tendaji was eager to see how Amadi would reward him with that same information he'd been keeping to himself for the past few days. It wouldn't be as lush as what he could blackmail out of Ige, but all things considered, he saw a lot more reward for himself in the future if he played his cards right.

Why hurry the good things that would inevitably come his way?

With a smug grin, Tendaji stretched one last time, stood, and left his small tent to brave the slowing flurries. He didn't like being in Amadi's presence, but good things didn't always come easy.

~*~*~*~*~

Master Oogway scanned over the scroll again. There were very few times in his memory that he could recall feeling this distraught. Even fewer were the occurrences in which he had no idea what to do, and this was one of them.

So he scanned over the scroll. Again.

"Oh dear…" he finally said.

Ling, the messenger hawk that had arrived at the Jade Palace less than an hour ago, watched him with concerned eyes. She was the fastest messenger in Cha Gung, having made the journey in less than two days' time. She was exhausted, and she needed rest. Any message Oogway wanted to send in return would have to wait until tomorrow.

"Is this everything?" he asked the hawk. She took a quick sip of her tea before speaking, her sleek red-brown plumage ruffling a little in her worry.

"No, Master Oogway. Master Flying Rhino almost had me wait a few hours before leaving because of a request from Tai Hui. I didn't hear the conversation entirely, but it was something about infection setting into the wound. Apparently she needed help keeping Master Shifu still enough to change his dressings."

Oogway nodded absently. That must have been part of what he'd witnessed the previous day in his vision. The kung fu founder also had the distinct feeling it wasn't the only trouble Shifu was going to face in the near future. It was difficult to think about his closest student fighting for his very life in the cold mountains while Oogway was here in the Valley, safe and snug. There was no doubt in his mind that he would be leaving for Cha Gung Pass in the next day or so, but the village and palace needed to be properly looked after first.

Making a long inner monologue short, Oogway needed to alert his helping hands before he left to tend to his student, and they needed to know what was going on. It would take several hours to corroborate his departure, making it too late to leave today. And if the citizens heard of Shifu's predicament, he could only imagine the heartbroken outcries it would induce. The guards would have to be prepared for that as well. The red panda had no idea how attached the citizens had become to him. If he never came home…

"Master Oogway?" Ling's soft, strong voice brought his mind back to the present, alerting him to his wandering thoughts again. He was certainly lacking in his meditation of late.

"Hm?" he replied with a small smile.

"If you have a message you want me to take back, I can leave immediately."

"I have a message," Oogway nodded slowly. "But you are not to leave the palace tonight. I expect you to rest, and you may leave in the morning. This will give me time to compose my reply, after all."

"Yes, master," Ling said with a small bow of her head, though she sounded uncertain.

"Good. One of the palace hands will escort you to your guest room. Once he's shown you the kitchen, help yourself to anything you would like to eat. You should be strong and rested before your departure."

"Thank you for your kindness," the hawk said quietly.

With a nod of his long neck, Master Oogway stood with scroll in hand and left the room. He retreated to his quarters, sliding the paper panel closed with a sigh. After settling at the small letter desk in the corner he opened the scroll again and read over its contents for what felt like the hundredth time.

_Master Oogway,_

_I am sorry to say I have urgent news concerning Master Shifu. It is unclear to me how events transpired, but I can say with certainty that his situation is dire. He has been poisoned by a Fisi weapon, and as of the present day, Shifu's life hangs in the balance. _

_I and my wife Tai Hui are doing everything in our power to ensure that he survives, but I fear it may not be enough. But please, Master Oogway, I beg you to stay at the Jade Palace until my men and I disperse the hyena clan and clear them from the pass. While I would never be so ignorant to think you couldn't handle them, one touch from their weapons is deadly. _

_Keep Shifu in your thoughts. I will send word as soon as I can._

_Master Flying Rhino_

Oogway sighed deeply through his nose, contemplating the words of his response carefully. In lieu of Rhino's request, he knew he was being a little bit stubborn in choosing to travel anyway. He wasn't about to leave Shifu or Cha Gung village without aid in the face of a threat as large as the Fisi Clan. He'd heard of their travels, even seen them from afar several times in his centuries of travel and study. The hyena clans of Africa were not a force to be trifled with, and they masked their intricate inner structure with the chaos and mayhem they could cause. With this in mind, the tortoise unrolled the scroll a little to expose a length of blank space, dipped a thin brush in the ink well, and wrote his response.

_Rhino,_

_In any other circumstances, I would be very happy to hear from you. In light of the current situation, however, it has come to my attention that I must travel to Cha Gung despite your request. Not only would I never leave Shifu in such a condition, I would also never leave a village to face hyenas alone. _

_I would be honored to have a temporary place prepared at the edge of the village, where I can observe the pass at all times. It is only natural for me to want to see my friends again, as well as lend my aid any way I can. I very much look forward to seeing your wife again, and acquainting myself with the rest of the village will be a pleasure, I'm sure._

_I will begin the journey within two days of this message. Please be sure to take care while I am on my way._

_Master Oogway_

Well, it wasn't as cheerful as most of the letters he liked to send, but it would have to do. He would make sure to cheer everyone up when he arrived. With a clarifying breath, Oogway rolled up the scroll and set it aside. He rose, staff in hand, and left to fetch Hong. The goose would be sure to get word quickly to the guards in the village, and they would be here within the hour. There was much to be done before leaving, and he would be sure to get it all done as quickly as a tortoise could.

~*~*~*~*~

I had no idea how long I was going to suffer like this. I'd lost track of how long I was awake. It was hard to keep time when I kept fading in and out of consciousness. I had tried to meditate once, maybe twice, to clear my head, but kept falling asleep somewhere in the efforts. I recently realized the people taking care of me were Flying Rhino and his wife, and I could only guess how long.

I couldn't get a descent breath to save my life. My lungs burned, my head and my side were splitting with pain, and my body trembled as if I'd just come out of a war. Perhaps I had… I felt cold and damp, my vision swam in sickening waves if I held my eyes open too long. Even laying as still as I could I was dizzy. Something stunk like the dead, engulfing me in a horrible smell that made my stomach turn. … I think it was me.

Just as I had begun to crawl out of this horrible fog in my head, I realized something was very, very wrong. Though such language rarely crossed my mind, I had to admit that life truly _sucked_ right now.

I felt pressure on my ear, and opened my eyes against the brightness of the room. Tai Hui was hovering above me again, pinching my ear. She looked upset. I wondered for a moment if I had done something to upset her before my tired brain remembered I hadn't done anything in ancestors knew how long! I hate being frustrated and confused, but it was all I knew at that moment.

I blinked hard to refocus on her, and her mouth was moving. …Was she speaking to me? Someone must have stuffed cotton in my ears, every sound was dull and muffled if I could hear it at all. It unnerved me. I squinted at her. Like that was supposed to help me hear her. Right. She seemed to get the point, though, and merely studied me for a moment. She looked away then, speaking to someone else.

And suddenly I was so tired. I was resigned to let the darkness close over me again, and I didn't mind the respite.

…

I woke with a jolt after what seemed only a few minutes of rest. It seemed a pattern – one I didn't appreciate. It took me a moment to realize Tai Hui was moving me; yet another detail I didn't appreciate. My wound flared with burning pain, gritting against my nerves in a way that made me wonder if my innards had been pulled out through my side and then stuffed back in in the wrong order. The mental image didn't help my weak stomach, either.

I opened my eyes in time to see her say something to me. It was no use trying to understand; I was subjected to the whims of my caretakers, anyway. What did it matter if she tried to explain things to me?

And then she lifted me off the bed.

My whole body tensed with the pain of the shift, I tried to bite back a groan, but had no idea if I was successful or not. Probably not. All I could do was close my eyes and hold my breath against the nausea that swam over me in hot and cold waves. One of her cold hands was against the back of my neck as she carried me, and I tried to focus on the coolness of it. My trembling worsened with every step she took, but I had no idea if it was because of the pain, or if something else was causing it. That innate feeling of dread lingering under my chest told me it was something else, but I was too detached from it all to deduce what was wrong. I was furious with my helplessness for a moment, and then it was swallowed up by waves of unnatural cold.

This cold feeling seemed both wrong and familiar.

I must have blacked out or dozed off or something, because when I was able to focus again I was in a different room. I was distantly aware that my body didn't seem to be listening to my brain. The trembling had worsened. I should have been uneasy about all this, but I couldn't find the energy to care. I made a mental note to chastise myself about my carelessness later, as it would certainly lead to further injuries in the future if it kept up. Hm… that last thought was out of place…

I seemed to be losing myself somehow. Eh, that didn't make sense either!

With a shaky breath, I concluded something was definitely wrong. I tried to focus.

I didn't know what I was laying on, but it was soft enough. Tai Hui was hovering over me – no surprise there. She was pulling bandages away from my body in a hurried manner, and I realized I should have been feeling every movement. That dead smell hit my nose a hundred fold so suddenly it made my eyes water. I finally found it in myself to be uneasy.

So I was unnaturally cold, I smelled like death, and I had very suddenly lost all sensation below my shoulders. If those weren't red flags on a training ground, then I was a chow chow. And yet all I did was watch Tai Hui with a retarded sense of fascination. My vision was shaking… must've meant my head was trembling, too. Huh.

I was vaguely aware of Tai Hui lifting me up. As she set me down, I felt as if I was floating. I felt water on the back of my neck, cold and soothing.

I was sleepy. I had certainly done enough useless monologuing for one day. I was…

I… was ready… to…

~*~*~*~*~

"Come on, Shifu, you can make it…" Tai Hui found herself whispering fervently to the unconscious red panda. But it wasn't up to fervent prayers now; it was up to Shifu.

She had known the fever would be severe; in fact that was a good thing. High fever spikes were the last obstacle in fighting off the Fisi poison. If the tiny warrior made it through, he would most likely be in the clear. The majority of his fighting would be done with. He'd made it this far, she was certain he would make it!

But worry reared its ugly visage in the back of her mind. She hadn't expected infection to set into his wound so quickly. She had been so careful to dress the sword wound and keep it as clean as she could, but there was no accounting for the clean furless skin of a rhino when her patient was a thick-furred fire fox.

"Rhino!" she called, her voice echoing through the kitchen and down the hall. "Bring me more bandages and towels!"

"Yes, love!" Rhino answered just as loudly.

If the situation hadn't already gotten Tai Hui's hackles risen, she would have laughed. Her hands, along with Shifu, were submerged in a cold water bath she had chosen to conduct in the kitchen sink. She was afraid of losing him in the actual bath, made for the greater dimensions of a rhinoceros. The sink was a perfect fit for the smaller master, though she didn't think he'd handle it very well if she ever explained it to him later. He was still young, and still full of pride.

As it was, she cupped one of her hands and poured water over the top of Shifu's head. He'd fallen unconscious just moments ago, and it had her worried. She hadn't taken into consideration how a high fever would affect a smaller creature. She had no idea what else would be different between caring for Rhino's injured soldiers and caring for their tiny young friend.

She wished for Oogway's wisdom now, lest she make a mistake in caring for the young man. For now, muttering made her feel better.

"Damn you fire cats and your complicated tiny bodies," she groused quietly, pouring more water over his head. "Can't make anything simple for anyone, let alone yourselves. Is it so much to ask –"

"Tai Hui?"

"Hah! Yes Rhino?" she spluttered, looking over her shoulder with a none-too-subtle blush coloring her snout. Her husband watched her with narrowed eyes as he set the towels and bandages down on the counter.

"…Perhaps you should take a break, get some rest?"

"No," she answered a little too quickly. "No, I'm fine. I'm just… worried, is all."

"Uh huh…" Rhino was obviously skeptical. Tai Hui focused instead on cleaning the clay pack out of Shifu's wound. Slow clouds of silt migrated through the water, blood and infection dancing along in sickly green and rusty brown swirls. Along with the soggy clods of fur shed caused by the fever, the sink was a disgusting sight. If Shifu ever remembered how filthy he was at any point during this ordeal, he would likely have a heart attack!

As it was, she was just grateful he was unconscious for the cleaning out of the clay pack this time. Tai Hui was a tough woman to shake, but she wouldn't wish that kind of pain on anyone she held dear.

"Do I need to get more clay?" Rhino asked, peering over her shoulder. The reluctance in his voice was impossible to miss. When she glared at him, he pointedly ignored the look. He huffed, expelling the acrid smell out of his nose as best he could.

"No," she replied, pinching Shifu's ear to check his temperature. It flicked away when she let go, a good sign. His trembling had nearly disappeared, too. She sighed with mild relief, taking it as a sign that she was doing things all right so far. "I'll pressure bandage it for now. When I'm sure the infection is gone I'll stitch him up."

"Hm, I'm sure he'll like that," her husband replied sarcastically.

"Would _you_ like to do it?" He held up his hands and shut his eyes in calming gesture, speaking in a wise tone.

"Far be it from me to doubt my wife's skills with a needle and thread, no matter what the subject may be."

"That's what I thought… Hand me a towel, would you?" Rhino complied without question. Tai Hui took a moment to meet his charcoal eyes, her heart swelling with a comforting wave of giddy love and thankfulness for her perfect mate. She opened her mouth to voice her appreciation of him, but he smiled and kissed her short.

"I know," he said, sounding a trifle smug. He reached in front of her, taking Shifu gently from the makeshift bath. "And don't worry about him. I have a feeling the worst of it is over."

Tai Hui sighed, offering only a shaky smile as she the towel over her arms and welcomed the sopping warrior back into her fold. "I hope you're right, dear." There was little left for the poison's course, but what she truly worried about now was keeping Shifu's fever down. And, most of all, keeping him from doing something boredom-driven and stupid in the long weeks of recovery to come…

~*~*~*~

They jumped. They danced. They yipped. They yowled. They stomped circles around the great fire, those who shoved and nipped their way to the front of the massive crowd. The drums vibrated loud and rhythmic across the camp, the heartbeat of the clan. The colorful dancing beads clattered with movement and glistened with the melting snow of warm bodies.

Amadi was perched on a mound of tamped snow, the whole hill covered in the stolen armor of her conquests, a makeshift king's rock. She watched a half-body above the jumping droves, observing her people's guile, mirth, and celebration. They stomped their paws on the rock-hard drifts and raised their heads to call out in tribal trills. Thick clouds of breath seared the scant flurries into a shroud of mist about them, beckoning the spirits of their homeland to the feast.

The feast of their own brother.

Amadi's smile grew wide and wicked, a sultry cackle rising in her throat. The giant fire blazed hot and tall before her dais. Beyond it dozens of smaller fires were being danced around by those too weak to fight their way to the great blaze. She peered through the licking flames, catching the wavering visage of _him_.

The failure.

Ige had been punished, but was still too valuable to be made an example of. His failed sentry, on the other hand… She would gladly sacrifice a failure to raise the morale of the entire clan, however tiring the task.

The castaway was strung by his wrists and ankles to a sturdy straight post, held high in the air by broken wrists and dislocated shoulders. He whimpered, he wailed, he cackled with every breath. He would die laughing.

Amadi's hand shot into the air, and she let out a single, ferocious bark. The drums stopped. In the moments that followed, silence broke the festivities like a ripple in a pond. Every Fisi knelt as the quiet fell upon them, watching the largest pyre with rapt attention and eager tongues. The only sound beyond the chilling breeze howling through the pass was the crackling of the fires and the clatter of Amadi's bead adorned body. Slowly, gracefully, she left her mountain and walked around the fire. She craned her neck to look up at the sniveling outcast, who hung his head in both shame and submission.

The silence turned brittle and tense while she stared and he wept. Now was the time of her judgment. Amadi was to choose the weight of his curse. Her lips curled in a disgusted sneer.

"May the spirits leave you to wander alone for all time," she spat. As he wailed and screeched, she cut the air with her hand. Cheers erupted loud and raucous as two hefty warriors shouldered the post and pushed. Its shallow footing in the snow gave easily, and it leaned. With a hysteric laugh, the failure fell forward. The tope of the post crashed into the king hill, leaving him stretched out to roast in the top of the fire.

A victorious trill rose thick and hot in Amadi's chest, and she threw her head back and let it echo through the pass. The drums burst to life again, and the leader of the Fisi Clan danced with her people. She relished the anticipation of the long night ahead. She would eat his brain. Her lover would get his heart. Her seer would take the eyes. The rest of him would be carefully cut and dispersed, a tiny morsel for every Fisi. His power – what little there was, all the potential he had left unclaimed – would flow into the Clan, make them stronger.

There would be drinking. More dancing. Lots of sex.

In a way, _Kgosi_ Amadi loved killing her people.

~*~*~*~*~

A/N:

Thank you again, to those who have read, enjoyed, and especially to those who have reviewed. Reviews really help to keep a writer going, and I'm no exception to that, so please R&R if you would be so kind, or I won't know if I'm pleasing you as a reader or not. This chapter skips around a bit more than usual, but important gaps are being filled before the plot really snowballs. Hope you enjoy!


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